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Amy Christmas (171 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books

Dec 24, 2017 (Updated Dec 24, 2017)  
The Cruel Prince
The Cruel Prince
Holly Black | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
9
8.4 (36 Ratings)
Book Rating
Expansive and immersive world (3 more)
Doesn't constantly focus on love
Lies, deceit and betrayal
MC is human
Use of clichés for quick character building (2 more)
Abrupt climax
Unfulfilling ending
Can't wait for more
I received this for free for an honest review.

In The Cruel Prince we follow Jude a human in a fearie world along with her twin sister Taryn and her fearie sister Vivienne. Vivo is the son of the high kings general Madoc who had Vivi stolen from him by his ex-wife who he murdered in front of them.
Jude has grown up in this fearie world and has adapted to it's customs and seeks favour among one of the royal family courts by way of a knighthood. All in an effort to amass power to protect herself from people like Prince Cardan who bully and attack her.
We watch Jude struggle as she goes way in over her head and may be a little to bold and blunt when it comes to standing up to royalty and in some cases bending a knee to it.


I loved this book, there were times it had me grinding my teeth and sitting there talking to myself asking questions and complaining about people dying.
However I have to take marks away for Blacks use of clichés with some of the characters like Cardan and his cruel group for a quick character build. I understand that sometimes clichés are needed but Black could have made the characters more unique in their backstories.
The story is a good first book in a new series as it builds the world well and how the politics work. I do feel as though the climax was too short and could have been expanded on in an extra chapter as things seemed a little too rushed. The epilogue as well left me feeling a little underwhelmed after reading the last chapter, which left me wanting more.


Overall a good read if you enjoy YA fantasy, I've read better, but it's still good and I will be following up on this series.
  
We all have struggles and challenges in life. Whether they are of our own making or not, things don’t always work out. Sometimes, we just give up on our dreams and goals. But it doesn’t have to be that way! God is a God of new beginnings, and throughout the entire Bible, we read about people who were stuck, disappointed, and faced impossible situations—people God freed. Rosalinda Torres Rivera challenges us to Dare to Begin Again. Using stories from her own life, other people, and biblical times, Rosalinda offers inspirational, down-to-earth advice on beginning again. Each chapter tackles a different issue where you may be “stuck”—such as an inability to forgive, trust, or hope—and examples of people who overcame similar challenges. Practical tasks at the end of each chapter walk you through a DARE challenge (Decide, Allow, Rise, Enjoy) to help you move closer to a fresh start. Rosalinda is the daughter of Victor Torres, an ex-gang member from Brooklyn, New York, and his wife, Carmen, founders of the New Life For Youth ministry. She has seen more than twenty thousand people get out of tough situations and turn their lives around. “They’re people whose tales of transformation prove God is still at work,” she says. “He’s written and re-written their life’s chapters—and He’s willing to do the same for you.” It takes a commitment, but with the help of God, inspiring, true stories, and practical applications, you can Dare to Begin Again.



My Thoughts: Everyone struggles with life. It doesn't matter if you're coming out of addiction, a bad marriage, or just coping with change. Maybe you are having difficulty making a dream come alive; stuck in a rut. This book is full of encouragement! The author Rosalinda Torres Rivera, takes a real-life example and then examines a similar situation through the Bible, on topics such as hope, forgiveness, sacrifice to name a few. The reader learns to let go and to rely on God to help them through the struggle.



Such a well written and useful book, that I think every reader could use at some point in their lives or know someone who does.
  
From Connie Glynn comes the second book of the Rosewood Chronicles - Princess in Practice, and it is the adventure of a lifetime that we all have been waiting for. If you thought Undercover Princess was amazing - you will definitely love its sequel.

''Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.''

The story continues where it left off, with Ellie, Lottie and Jamie settling after the adventurous ending and getting ready for their second year in Rosewood. With the new school year starting, their enemies are on the rise again, plotting their new actions, and Lottie and Jamie are more than ready to protect their princess.

But as always, things are not as easy as they seem, and they never suspect that danger will be so close to them, now more than ever.

I loved that Lottie has her moment with her old best friend, when she visits the hometown, and tells him all about the princess world. It was soothing to know that she still cares about him, and always will, despite their lives being very different now.

Throughout the book, we don't see any romantic scenes, but we do have a lot of subtle talks about them. I really loved the romance between Anastacia and Saskia. Maybe not the romance itself actually, because to be honest, as much as I love the author, she doesn't have a skill set for writing romance. What I did love, was the dedication of the couple to stay together and what Saskia would do and sacrifice, just for the person she loves.

I was very upset with the author trying so hard to make Lottie and Ellie a couple. Yes, we know lesbian relationships are against the rules in the kingdom and Ellie's father would be furious to find out. But Lottie had such a nice slow-burn romance going with Jamie, getting to know him and all. They even reminded me of Dimitri and Rose from Vampire Academy. They have a thing, and the author ruined it with trying to convince me Lottie likes girls. Well, I am not convinced. I already have my favourite girl couple, and it's not Lottie and Ellie.

Princess in Practice was a better-written book than Undercover Princess in my opinion.

If I had to choose though, I would still prefer the first book, because of the whole set up. The friendship stories were better and even the villains were better in the previous book.

The villains we had in this book were plain, without a character, and I simply did not care about any of them. Even that last chapter, with the mysterious leader that stands behind everything, all I could feel was - MEH!

When it comes to the friendship, and the wider team that helps these three main characters, we didn't really get to know them much more than we did from the previous book. My favourite was and will stay Raphael, who always makes me laugh.

''What? Why don't I get to be a plus-one?'' Raphael maned, putting.

''Because, Raphael,'' Anastacia mocked, ''you're not a trained bodyguards, nor are you a princess.''

To conclude, I loved reading Princess in Practice. It had a nice overall story and it was very easy to read. I will definitely be waiting for the third book to come out and will be desperate to read it! A great book during the summer period for sure. If you love princesses - that is :)